"Qi Shui is speechless and deep, and the qin and xiao are endless..." At the end of September, the original Kunqu Opera "Guo Feng" by the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater was staged at Beijing Tianqiao Theater.

Different from traditional Kunqu Opera, "Guo Feng" draws on elements such as stage beauty, lighting and other elements of drama, song and dance performances, with a more refined structure and simpler language, bringing new experiences to fans.

At the end of the play, the audience's applause and cheers echoed in the theater for a long time.

　　"It's so worth it. There are Plum Blossom Award winners and national first-class actors who will perform tonight. The performance level is high, but the ticket price is very cost-effective." Xu Yuan, who watched the performance on the spot, told reporters that preferential activities were launched during the Beijing Huimin Cultural Consumption Season. , The original price of 100 yuan for the viewing ticket was purchased for only 30 yuan.

　　Tickets were almost sold out that night, a rarity even before the pandemic.

"Many performances were canceled during the epidemic, and even if the performances started, the attendance rate was not ideal," said Pan Xiaojia, a young actor at the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater.

In addition, theaters used to organize more than 2 tours every year. After the outbreak, the tours have been suspended, which has a great impact on the theater's revenue.

　　Zhao Zilai from Xicheng District, Beijing is a veteran fancier who has watched more than 90 theatrical performances in 2021.

"Affected by the epidemic, some performances have been cancelled or postponed, and fans and friends are inevitably a little disappointed." Zhao Zilai told reporters that the "Southern Beijing Opera Famous Drama Beijing-Tianjin Performance Week (Beijing Station)" led by well-known Peking Opera actor Shi Yihong was originally scheduled for November 2021. It opened in January, was postponed twice in the middle, and then canceled once again.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, Shi Yihong finally started performing in Beijing.

"Although it's not the original cast and the performances have been adjusted, it's always good to see the actors and plays that you like." Zhao Zi said.

　　Actor isolation, schedule conflicts, blockade of rehearsal venues, and limited budgets... When the offline performance market was hit, the live broadcast room became a new stage for the opera industry, and various "cloud performances" responded well.

Data from the Douyin platform shows that since May this year, the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater has carried out 14 live broadcasts, and the cumulative number of viewers has exceeded 14.78 million.

Among them, classic plays such as "The Peony Pavilion" and "The Story of the West Chamber" have more than one million viewers in a single show.

　　"It is difficult to reach millions of viewers offline. Live broadcasts can break the time and space constraints, while retaining the foundation of the theater, allowing more people to enjoy opera more conveniently. Fans and actors can also communicate with each other in the live broadcast room and enhance mutual understanding. Love, help us to continuously improve." Pan Xiaojia said.

　　Regarding the new mode of "cloud performance", some viewers also believe that when watching a play, you should really listen, see, and feel on the spot.

Zhao Zilai believes that from the perspective of opera promotion, live broadcasts, short videos and other methods can fill the shortcomings of audiences who cannot go to the scene to watch performances, and accelerate the dissemination of excellent works in a more innovative and interesting way.

"But it is undeniable that opera is a live art. Watching the performance face-to-face can better feel the kung fu behind the actors' every move and the cultural charm contained in the classic works." Zhao Zi said.

　　Data shows that more than 200 kinds of operas have been broadcast live on the Douyin platform alone. In the past year, more than 800,000 operas have been broadcast, and the cumulative number of viewers has exceeded 2.5 billion, with an average of more than 3,200 people watching each performance, which is equivalent to every live opera. It's a medium-sized show.

In addition to a stable performance space, live broadcast also brings new income mechanisms. Rewarding has become a "theatre ticket" in the Internet era. More than 70% of the opera dramas that have been broadcast have received live broadcast income, and many opera actors have been found through live broadcasts. a new development path.

　　"From content production to business format innovation, the cultural field presents a distinct digital imprint, which has a profound impact on the dissemination of opera and the interaction of performances." According to Zhang Peng, a teacher at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Opera, as a new medium for the spread of opera performances, online Emerging methods such as live broadcasts and short videos have prompted opera creators to seek a "sense of the Internet" in terms of content selection and audience participation. Many works have taken advantage of the opportunity to "go out of the circle", and opera in the digital age ushered in new opportunities for development.

　　"Out of the circle" online, and "out of the circle" offline.

Under the epidemic, various theaters insisted on creating, launching new works and creating brand repertoires to entertain the audience.

　　The Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre launched the "Guanqifu" series of retro-style Kunqu opera performances to experimentally restore traditional Kunqu Opera, and launched Yuan Zaju and Ming and Qing legends such as "Lianxiang Companion" and "Wall Head Horse". At the same time, it launched anti-epidemic themed opera elements The drama "Retrograde" pays tribute to medical workers in a new art form, and has won the affirmation of many Kunqu Opera fans.

　　"It is necessary to return to the basics, but also to keep upright and innovate, which requires a deep professional foundation." Pan Xiaojia said that it takes several years and several polishing for new plays before they can appear on stage and meet the audience.

"Let the ancient art of Kunqu Opera be affirmed by the current audience, and at the same time convey new trends, positive energy, and more importantly, enhance our cultural self-confidence."

　　Zhang Peng said that the opera industry is striving to explore new practices, new channels and new spaces.

She suggested: "In the context of the popularization of life aesthetics, we should pay more attention to the effective combination of opera consumption demand and cultural product supply, create new scenes of opera consumption, and constantly tap the huge potential of the 'performance +' integrated development model."

　　From the long-running performance of Kunqu Opera "The Peony Pavilion", to the new crossover of Cantonese Opera "The Legend of the White Snake", to the gradual improvement of the Hundred Opera (Kunshan) Festival, all these show that the performance will not be limited by the theater. The industry will not be knocked down by temporary difficulties.

"Whether online or offline, the performance will continue. We will continue to rehearse traditional operas, create new operas, keep pace with the times, and inherit and spread the ancient art of Kunqu Opera with heart," said Pan Xiaojia.

　　Zeng Shiyang Kang Qiongyan

　　Economic Daily